3 Classic Rock Songs From 1969 That Felt Like the Last Night of the 60s

The 1960s were the decade when everything changed, according to anyone who was alive to experience it. And when the end of that decade came, it marked the end of an incredible era for music. The following three famous classic rock tracks that dropped in 1969 served as bookmarks for the end of that incredible era.

“The End” by The Beatles from ‘Abbey Road’

The Beatles were the biggest band of the 1960s, this song is titled “The End”, it remains the very last song recorded collectively by each of the Fab Four, and it closes out the last album that the band ever recorded together. Naturally, I had to include it on this list. 

Not only is there a glaring feeling of finality to this song, but it also boasts so much of what made The Beatles so lovable in the first place, way back in the early 1960s. “The End” even features a rare drum solo from Ringo Starr. You just can’t beat this one, even if it makes you feel a little sad by the end.

“And in the end, the love you take, is equal to the love you make.”

“The End” by The Doors from ‘The Doors’

Alright, this is a bit on the nose. We have yet another song titled “The End” that was released in 1969. But I have to say, there are some pretty big differences between The Beatles’ swan song and The Doors’ closer from their self-titled 1969 record. But both manage to capture the sound of the end of an era.

“The End” is a rich, psychedelic epic song that, in many ways, encompasses many musical elements that evolved and became popular in the 60s. The acid rock vibe, the spooky spoken-word poetry, that raga rock sound. And, of course, we can’t forget that killer guitar solo that would inspire countless rock bands that came to be in the 1970s. Jim Morrison said this song was a “simple goodbye song,” and that alone is pretty loaded.

“Fortunate Son” by Creedence Clearwater Revival from ‘Willy And The Poor Boys’

I bet you were expecting another song titled “The End”, weren’t you? Instead, we have a long-enduring classic from the world’s biggest roots rock band. And nothing summed up the collective sentiments of the late 1960s quite like CCR’s “Fortunate Son”. 

This classic rock tune from 1969 is all about how unfair it is that the rich and affluent got to avoid the Vietnam War draft in one way or another, while working-class kids were given guns and shipped off overseas, often never to return. At the time, many people in America were completely against the Vietnam War and believed it had gone on for far too long and claimed far too many young men’s lives. That relatability led “Fortunate Son” to become a go-to on the radio in 1969. The song peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and it remains one of CCR’s most famous tunes.

Photo by Electra Records/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

The post 3 Classic Rock Songs From 1969 That Felt Like the Last Night of the 60s appeared first on American Songwriter.